Trace-detacher and whiffletree-hook therefor.



F. P. EICH.

TRACE DETACHER AND WHIFFLETREE HOOK THEREFOR.

APPLICATION FILED MAR- 29, 1916. I

Patented Sept. 5, 1916.

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FRED P. EICI-I, OF HOSPERS, IGWA.

TRACE-DETAOHEB AND WHIFFLETREE-HGGK THEREFOR.

Application filed March 29, 1916.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRED P. EICI-I, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hospers, in the county of Sioux, State of Iowa, have invented a new and useful Trace-Detacher and Whiflietree-I-Icok Therefor; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to an improved automatic trace detaching mechanism, and more particularly to a special design of whiffletree hook, adapted for use in connection with said automatic trace detaching mechanism.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide an apparatus of this kind having improved features of construction.

One of the features of construction is the provision of a specially constructed whifiletree hook comprising a body having an opening for the reception of the reduced end of the swingletree, said body at its opposite end being bifurcated to receive an eye of the trace, there being a spring tensioned sliding staple having a short arm to pass through the eye of the trace for holding the eye connected to the bifurcated end of the body.

Another feature of the invention is the provision of improved means for simultaneously actuating a plurality of sliding spring tensioned staples of a plurality of whifl'letree hooks, whereby the plurality of traces may be detached at the same time.

In practical fields the details of construction may necessitate alterations, falling within the scope of what is claimed.

The invention comprises further features and combination of parts, as hereinafter set forth, shown in the drawings and claimed.

, In the drawings: Figure 1 is a plan View showing the application of the improved automatic trace detaching apparatus. Fig. 2 is a sectional View on line 22 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a sectional view on line 33 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a sectional view on line 4-4 of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail sectional view of the improved whiflletree hook.

Referring more especially to the drawings 1 designates a suitable pole or tongue, to which is secured by means of bolts 2 an arched plate 3 having a second arched portion 4. A pivot pin 5 extends through the Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 5, 1916.

Serial No. 37,505.

two arched parts of the plate, through the doubletree 6, and through the tongue or pole 1, and ournaled upon the upper part of the pin 5 is a pair of pulleys 7 and 8, the purpose of which will appear later. Pivoted to the ends of the doubletree 6 by means of the pins 11, are the upper and lower plates 9 and 10. The forward end portions of the upper plates 9 are provided with arched parts 12, in which the pulleys 13 and 14 are arranged. Pivot pins 15 extend through the arched part 12 and through the pulleys 13 and 14, and through the swingletrees 16, and then through the lower plates 10, thereby holdin the swingletrees pivotally mounted, and the pulleys 13 and 14 in position. A specially constructed whiflletree hook is designed for each end of each swingletree, which hook 17 consists of a body having an opening 18 at one end, and a pair of oppositely disposed ears 19 at the other end, so spaced at an interval, as to permit the eye 20 of each trace 21 to be received therebetween. Substantially between the ears and the end of the body having the opening 18 an opening or bore 22 is provided. The cars 19 are rovided with axially alined apertures 23. A staple 24 having a long arm 25 and a short arm 26 is provided, the arm 25 passes through the opening 22, while the short arm 26 passes through the axially alined apertures 23. The long arm 25 has a collar 27 which is held against movement in one direction by the transverse pin 28, there being a coil spring 29 between the collar and one face of the body of the Whiflletree. Each of the staples on its loop end has an eye 30. Connected to the eyes 30 a rope or cable 33 is looped as shown at 34 to engage the hook 35, then the opposite parts of the rope or cable pass over the pulleys 7 and 8, and extend in opposite directions, and have their opposite end portions 31 and 32 connected to the eyes 30 of the outermost staples. The portions of the cable or rope 33 that pass in the opposite direction engage the pulleys 14. Cables 36 and 37 are attached to the eyes of the innermost staples and then pass over the pulleys 13, and have their other ends spliced at 38 to the rope or cable 33, between the pulleys 14 and the pulleys 6 and 7, as shown in the plan view. In order to detach the trace eye 20, through which the short arms of the staples extend, the loop 34 is detached from the hook 35, and a pulling action is imparted upon the cable or rope 33, which draws the short arms of the staples from the eyes 20 of the traces against the action of the springs 29.

The invention having been set forth, what is claimed as new and useful is:

A whiflletree hook, comprising a body having an opening at one end to receive the end of the whiflletree, and a pair of ears at the other end in parallelismin plan view and extending forwardly, said ears having axially alined apertures, said body between the end having the opening and the end having the ears provided with a transverse hole, a staple comprising a long arm and a short arm, the long arm extending outwardly through the hole, the short arm through the axially alined apertures, a collar upon the outer end of the long arm, and a spring between the collar and the body to hold the short arm engaging through both of the axially alined apertures and a trace eye.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FRED P. EICH.

Witnesses:

G. A. GIBSON, JOHN MoCANnLEss.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. G. 

